Inflatable boat



' Filed July 21, 1967 sheet July 8, 1969 3 MAMBRETTI 3,453,671

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INFLATABLE BOAT Filed July 21, 1967 v sheet of 3 INVENTOR July 8, 1969 lG. MAMBRETT: 3,453,671

INFLATABLE BOAT F11-ed July 21, 1967 sheet 9 of 3 INVENTOR A oRNEYgUnited States Patent O 3,453,671 INFLATABLE BOAT Giancarlo Mambretti,Carnago, Varese, Italy Filed July 21, 1967, Ser. No. 655,163 Claimspriority, application Italy, July 26, 1966, 5,185/ 66, 5,186/66, Jan. 9,1967, 11,270/ 67 Int. Cl. B63c 9/02 U.S. Cl. 9--11 2 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE An inatable boat adapted to be driven by an outboardmotor. An inatable oat is provided in the form of an elongated tubularbody made of a suitable plastic and forming an envelope by which the bowand sides of the boat are formed. A rigid transom, to support theoutboard motor, is situated adjacent the stern end of the boat. Aplastic strip is Welded to the tubular body at the region of its sternend and is formed with grooves which receive edges of the transom, thelatter being secured to the strip by being welded thereto. An oarlock iswelded to the envelope and has an upper projection formed with anelongated bore 'having a minor axis extending vertically and having alength no greater than the diameter of an oar while the major axis ofthe bore extends horizontally and is larger than the oar diameter toprovide for free movement of the oar in the bore. A seat is in the formof an elongated board having teeth at its opposed ends, and at each sideof the envelope there is welded thereto a ange which surrounds a supportin the form of a hollow body subdivided by partitions into recesseswhich receive the teeth at an end of the board so as to support thelatter.

This invention concerns an inflatable boat, of the type that can bedriven by an outboard motor.

As already known, remarkable difficulties are encountered in securingthe usually wooden crossbar or transom, by which the outboard motor issupported, to main boat body, made of a plastics elastomer, owing toparticular design of sides thereof.

Also known is that the conventional oarlocks for oar boats consist ofplain, open rings, which results in the necessity to have a collar ttedin a suitable position on the oar, to prevent a possible slipping-offand getting lost of same oar, when left free.

IOne purpose of this invention is the provision of a boat design whereinthe motor-supporting crossbar or transom, is efficiently and safelysecured to boat sides, by thoroughly engineered and easily workableconnection means.

Another purpose of the invention is the provision of an inflatable boatwith oarlocks designed in such a manner as to allow the use of collar-,or bead-free oars.

A further purpose of the invention is the provision of an inflatableboat fitted with simple, and eflicient means for supporting the seat.

The above and further purposes are fully attained by the inflatable boataccording to the invention, which is characterized in that it consistsof a hollow tubular body, made of a plastics elastomer, and by which thebow and sides are formed. Fitted close to stern is a rigid transom, alsopreferably made of a suitable plastics, for supporting the outboardmotor. The transom is connected with said tubular body by means of agrooved plastic member, heat-sealed thereto, and wherein said transom isengaged and secured preferably by welding with a ller rod.

According to the invention, oarlocks are provided, having an oval, orelongated bore, with the conjugate or minor axis equal to, or slightlysmaller than the oar diameter, whereby the oar is elastically retainedand prevented 3,453,671 Patented July 8, 1969 from slipping od, whilebeing allowed to perform the usual reciprocating motion in the oarlock.

Again according to the invention, heat-sealed on the inllatable boatsides are elements or retainers, formed with a plurality of alignedrecesses, wherein both combshaped ends of seats can be engaged.

The further object and advantages of the invention will be betterappreciated from a consideration of the following description of apreferred embodiment form thereof, taken with the accompanying drawings,being both description and drawings given as a non restrictive exampleonly. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plain view of boat.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken close to boat stern.

FIG. 3 is a part longitudinal section of a detail of retainer means, bywhich the bottom and transom are connected with the boat body.

FIG. 4 is a detail of retainer means, by which the motor supportingtransom is connected with the boat body.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a boat oarlock, and

FIG. 6 is a part perspective View of a support, welded to boat body, andby which the seats thereof are supported.

Referring now to said drawings l is an an inflatable tubular body, madeof any suitable plastics, as c g., polyvinyl chloride, and by which thebow 2 and sides 3 are formed. Associated with the boat stern is a rigidtransom 4, also made of plastics, and by which the outboard motor issupported. Said transom 4 consists of a flat board made of a rigidplastics, and associated with a suitably profiled band 5, made of PVC,and extending all along the bottom and side edges of transom. In moredetail, said band 5 is formed with a groove 20, wherein the bottom andside edges of transom 4 are engaged and secured by a hot air welding,with the aid of a filler rod, whereby to form a PVC bead 6, all alongthe contour of transom 4, on either side thereof.

The band 5 is fastened, also by heat sealing, to boat sides 3, all alongthe lengths 5a (see FIG. 4), which are suitably bent. to conform withthe shape of same sides.

The transom 4 is reinforced by a trapezoid-shaped stiifening element 4a,applied in the zone where the outboard motor is clamped. Joint plates 4bare provided for the connection with the boat bottom (see FIGS. 2 and3). Said stiffening element may be integral with the transon (i.e.,formed simultaneously therewith), or may be welded or otherwise securedthereto.

The boat bottom consists of three :boards 7, 8 and 9, successivelyplaced in the Same order, from stern to bow, onto the bottom plasticslayer 10, that is welded to sides 3.

In more detail, the middle board 8 is formed with two narrow strips 11,extending sidewise from the bottom edges thereof, while the two otherboards 7 and 9 are secured in place by merely placing two further strips12 on them, and clamping them by means of bolts 13, that are passedtherethrough, and which nuts can be tightened preferably by the sameplug box wrench of outboard motor. By the application of no more thaneight bolts, all bottom components can be safely secured in place, beingrmly engaged in recesses as delined by the lower layer 10, and by thelower edge of sides 3.

Secured by the bolts 13 are also two tierods 14, connected with thetransom 4, to thereby keep it in a nearly vertical position.

The assembling and operation of the boat according to the invention areapparent.

When the boat is disassembled, the boards 7, 8 and 9 will rest the oneon the others, while the dellated tubular body 1 can be convenientlyfolded, whereby the bulk of the whole is reduced to a wholly acceptablevalue.

The oarlock A substantially consists of a plasticsor like moldedelement, indicated in its entirety by numeral 101,and that comprises aprojection 102, by which an elongated central bore 103 is defined.

The minor axis of said bore 103a is equal to, or slightly smaller thanthe diameter of oar to be placed in the oarlock, while the majordiameter of same bore, is much greater than a, to allow for theto-and-fro motion of oar while rowing.

It is to be pointed out that the bottom edge of bore 103 is raised inrespect of base plate 101, whereby to prevent a possible rubbing of oaragainst same plate or boat upper edge, decreasing also the frictionalresistance while rowing.

The oarlock is welded to envelope 104 of inflatable boat 1, therebysecuring said base plate 1 to the envelope. The base plate 1 ispreferably welded to the outer suiface of envelope; however, a weldingto the inner surface thereof is also possible; in this case, a suitableopening is formed in the envelope, to allow the oarlock projectingportion to pass therethrough.

The support for the seat 205 substantially consists of a hollow,parallelepipedon shaped, frontally open body 201, integrally plasticsmolded, and having a large flangelike projection 202, round the frontopening, as well as a number of intervening walls 203, by which theinside of said body is subdivided into a row of recesses, arranged sideby side, and having open front ends.

The end 205 of a board serving as a seat, which is subdivided by aplurality of notches 206, into comb-like teeth 207, can be engaged withsuch teeth into said lrecesses.

As it can be readily appreciated from what precedes, said support issecured to inllatable boat by having its flange 202 Welded to envelope'208 of boat sides 3. Same flange may be Welded either to the outerside, or to inner side of said envelope, and in the latter case, asuitable opening will be formed therein, to allow the body 201 to passtherethrough.

The seat 205 can be fitted in place by merely having both opposite boatsides 3, elastically moved apart from one another, whereafter thecomb-like teeth 207 can be engaged into the recesses 204 of the twoopposite supports.

I claim:

1. An inflatable boat comprising, in combination, a float including anenvelope in the form of an inflatable tubular body made of plastics anddefining the bow and sides of the boat, said sides extending to theregion of the stern of the boat, a plastic strip extending between saidsides at the region of said stern and being welded to said tubular bodyat said sides, said strip being formed with a groove, a substantiallyrigid transom for supporting an outboard motor, said transom havingedges received in said groove of said strip, and said transom also beingmade of plastic, an elongated welding bead welding said transom to saidstrip, and an oarlock having a base plate welded to said envelope andcarrying an upper projection of said oarlock, said projection beingformed with an elongated bore having a substantially horizontal majoraxis and a substantially vertical minor axis, said minor axis being nogreater than the diameter of an oar to be received in said bore to beelastically retained by said oarlock, and said major axis being largerthan the oar diameter to provide for free movement of the oar whilerowing, said board having a lower edge situated at an elevation higherthan that of said base plate.

2. An inflatable boat comprising, in combination, a float including anenvelope in the form of an elongated inflatable tubular body made ofplastic and defining the bow and sides of the boat, said sides extendingto the region of the stern of the boat, an elongated plastic stripextending between said sides at the region of said stern and welded tosaid sides, said strip being formed with a groove, a substantially rigidtransom having edges received in said groove, said transom also beingmade of plastic, an elongated welding bead welding said transom to saidstrip, a seat support situated at each of said sides and consisting of ahollow body open at one end and having a flange welded to said envelope,said hollow body carrying walls dividing the interior thereof intoparallel recesses open at said end of said hollow body, and a seat inthe form of a board provided at each end with comblike teeth received insaid recesses so that said board is supported by said seat supports.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,949,616 8/ 1960 Desanges.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,353,321 l/l964 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, vol. 121, No. 5, May 1964, p. 112relied on.

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner.

